Sealed connector



Feb. 16, 1954 c. w. KLosTERMANN SEALED CONNECTOR 2 Sheets--Sheel l Filed May l2. 1950 jformama \l/ l JAM.. g f, O/@ 3 5 Feb. 16, 1954 c. w. KLosTl-:RMANN SEALED CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed .May 12, 1950 1]/ l lol.

Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED STA'EES iii'i OFFICE SEALED CONNECTOR Application May 12, 1950, Serial No. 161,646

5 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connectors, and has particular reference to sealed multiconductor connectors, both of the hermetically sealed and pressure sealed types.

It is the general aim of the invention to provide a multiple connector having a large nume ber of relatively closely spaced contacts, wherein the individual conductors are sealed in the Wall in such a manner that they are emcient from an electrical standpoint, yet are protected against physical damage either due to rough use of the equipment or arising by reason ci strains imposed in initially assembling component parts of thev connector. |The invention is illustrated. in a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept, in which the connector is designed to establish disengageable electrical unions between two multi-conductor cables` carried within conduits positioned on the opposite sides of a sealed wall.

1n the present state of the art, the provision of pressure sealed and hermetically sealed housings for electronic equipment has become accepted as a conventional expedient in appara tus designed for use under conditions of adverse humidity and Variable atmospheric pressure, but the development oiccnnectors suitable for use with such equipment has posed many heren tofore unsolved problems, particularly since such a connector must reconcile conflicting considerations of mechanical strength and electrical ci ciency if it is to be at allsatisfactory for its intende purpose. The problem has been particularly troublesome in the development of multiple connectors for high frequency electronic apparatus, wherein a large number of electrical conductors are housed in a relatively small connector shell, since the multitude ci conductors within the unit mustl 'ne individually7 insulated and sealed by dielectric material having low loss characteristics, yet allv parts must be guarded against breakage. The use of conductors extending fused glass bead insulators provides a per-feet hermetic seal, but these have heretofore presented some shortcomings from an electrical standpoint, due to the fact that, so tinnen, any alloys having a thermal co ecient oi expansion. which. permits them to be bonded?. to the glass'. have an. undesirablyv high electrical resistance. use o glass bead in." sulators has heretofore also: beenv regarded as impractical from a mechanical standpoint, since these beads are necessarily very fragile in nature. This is particularly true in connection with connectors of multiple Contact design, since the manufacturing tolerances necessarily employed in these bring about additional difficulties whichmay reach serious proportions. This is primarily for the reason that the contacts in electrical connectors of this type should be mounted `in fixed position on the dielectric inserts oi the connector to avoid transmitting stresses due to coupling and uncoupling the connector to the seals. Yet if the contacts are molded inv the inserts (or otherwise positively iiXed in position) even the slightest dimensional variations. in-

spacing of the contacts with respect to their seals will interfere with the free assembly of the parts, and will consequently impose strains on the pins which may fracture the seals andl destroy the usefulness of the connector.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention to provide a sealedl connector incorporating a glass bead and metal termial conductor pin extending therethrough for each contact, yet withv the parts so constructed and re'- lated that the connector is of low inherent resistance and at the same time not unduly liable to mechanical failure as a result of physical irn-` pact or abuse. This is accomplished in the pres-- ent invention by utilizing a novel terminal connectcr fused within the bead, with a dielectricr insert carrying all of the contacts of the con-- hector in xed positions, and coupling means formed as a part of the contacts but arranged to permit considerable latitude as the dimensional relationships between the pins and contacts, sothat a gang o contacts in fixed positions may be assembled on a gang of seals in xed posi tions without imposing any appreciable strains on the parts, even though the spacings between the several seals and contacts have some deviations froni absolute perfection.

This permits considerable relative movement' between the pins and the contacts withoutv sacricing the efficiency of the electrical unions between these parts. This movement may be either upv and. down, back and forth, or sideways. That is, the coupling is so arranged' as. to hold. itself. snugly in surface. engagement. with. the. conductor pin, yet to permit relative movement between the pin and the coupling support, so that strains imparted by such movement or by improper spacing of the several contacts and conductor pins will not exert appreciable strains on the fused seals by which these pins are carried.

A present preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings of this speci fication, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational View, partly in section, showing the present preferred embodiment of a pressure sealed connector constructed in accordance with these teachings;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmental, perspective view of the coupling portion of one of the connector contacts shown in engagement with one of the terminal conductor pins;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a hermetically sealed connector according to the present teachings; and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of a sealed glass bead insulator and terminal, which is employed in the present teachings.

The connector illustrated in Figures l and 2 is designed to establish electrical connection between two multiconductor cables on opposite sides of a pressure sealed wall. This wall is repre sented in the drawings by the sheet metal partition Iii. rIhis connector comprises, in general, a receptacle portion I i mounted on the partition l, with a detachable plug portion i2 fitted in the socket. The receptacle Il includes a pair of coacting metal rims I3 and i4 clamped to the opposite faces of the metal sheet i9 as by machine screws l5. A gasket i6 is placed on the upper surface of the rim i3 to provide an air-tight seal `between the rim I3 and the lower surface of the sheet metal l0. The metal sheet It is cut out with an aperture H to accommodate the connector, and a metal sealing shell I8 is inserted in the aperture and provided with outwardly extending iianges iii, which may be welded or soldered to the metal sheet HJ so that the shell establishes a seal across the aperture H in the metal sheet.

The receptacle includes a hollow shell 2D adapted to receive the plug i2. The shell has a marginal ange 2i clamped under ange 22 of the rim Il! of the unit, and has an upwardly extending socket 23 to receive the plug. The lower end 2li is fitted into the sheet metal sealing member i8. As illustrated, these parts are held together by crimping the metal of the shell I8 into recesses in the shell 23 as indicated at 25. An upper gasket 26 and a lower gasket 21 are provided to insure a watertight seal between these parts. Y

rThe shell 23 of the receptacle has a dielectric contact carrying insert comprising a central molded part 3i having V-tapered walls 32 at its opposite sides and provided with a longitudinally extending upper partition 33 and a longitudinally extending lower partition 3d. The V-walls 32 of this piece of the insert coact with correspondingly shaped V-walls on the side pieces 35, so that the entire insert functions as a solid unit and is held in position by the metal sealing shell i8 which bears against the lower wall 35 and holds the insert in position with the gasket 3B bearing against the marginal inside ange 37, on which the sealing gasket 38 is carried. The insert includes a multiplicity of individual Contact members, each of which consists of a double ended spring having a central portion d I clamped iixedly on the insert and provided with an upper portion t2 and a lower portion 43. The upper portion is free to flex within limits to engage a coacting contact, but has a reversely bent end 42a seating in a pocket 42h in the insert to limit its flexing movement.

The lower portion 43 comprises what may be termed a coupler, by which the contacts are joined to terminal conductors fused in the her metically sealed wall of the connector. These terminal conductors each comprise a metal terminal pin 413 of the form shown in detail in Figure 6. These pins lili extend through and are supported in a glass bead seal 45, which may be fused directly into the openings of the shell as shown, or bonded to small metal sleeves that are soldered in these apertures, as hereinafter described. The pins Lili are each provided with a terminal loop l5 on which the individual conductors of a cable may be soldered.

The contacts are formed from a relatively thin, fiat strip of spring metal, and the mounting portions lil thereof are fixed immovably in the di electric insert. The coupling portion of each contact comprises a downwardly extending reverse bend (Figure 3), to frictionally engage one of the terminal pins 44. The coupling portion consists of a leg rita which normally lies at a slight angle to the pin it engages. This leg, at its lower end, is doubled back at 43h to provide a convex line contact surface extending entirely across the width of the strip and adapted to bear on the pin 6.14 adjacent its lower end. The coupling portion continues from the portion 43h in a reverse bend ttc extending transversely across the terminal pin and provided with an aperture 43d, so that the pin extends upwardly through the strip. The aperture 43d is of considerably greater diameter than the diameter of the pins, so that the coupling need not contact the pins at this point.

A contact is established on the opposite side of the pin, however, by a bent lip 43e provided at Y the upper end of the arm 43j of the strip.

By examination of Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that by this arrangement a rm electrical union is maintained between the contact i5 and the pin 44, since the inherent resilience in the reverse bend 43e of the strip will hold the contacting surfaces 4312 and 3e in firm engagement on the pin at all times. The relatively long, thin and fairly flexible leg portion lita. allows a high degree of exibility in a lateral direction, however, since the angle at which this portion of the coupler stands might vary widely without imposing any serious stresses on the pin 1M or on the glass seal i5 associated with it.

The coupling between the pin and contact also permits considerable longitudinal shifting of the parts without imposing appreciable strains, by reason of the fact that the aperture 3d is suinciently large that it does not contact the pin, with the result that the pin and contact may shift laterally merely by relative sliding between the convex surfaces 43h, 43e on the coupling, and the opposite cylindrical surfaces on the pin. It is also obvious that vertical movement between these parts is unrestricted except for the light frictional engagement therebetween, and it fol-V lows that the specific coupling here shown and described provides universal movement of the parts, yet at all times maintains an intimate electrical lbond therebetween. Y

The terminal loops 46 of all the conductors are enclosed by a bottom cover 5l clampedto the lower riml portion I3 by machinev screws 5.2, and a sealingl gasket 5-3 is provided between these parts to maintain a watertight joint. The lower cover has a threaded neck 54 to which a conduit 55 may be clamped as by the coupling nut 5,6 andv adjustable clamp 51', so that the indvidual conductors from the terminal pins 44 may be taken from the connector in the form of a unitary cable.

The plug I2v of the connector comprises a main shell 6| having a flange $2 adapted to lit within the; flange of the receptacle shell 23` and to bear against the sealing gasket 38, so that a watertight joint is assured between the plug and its receptacle. The entire plug is held in assembled relation with the receptacle by a pair o toggle latches, each of which comprises a manuallyoperable lever 63 pivoted on a pin G carried in' one of the ears 55 of the plug shell and linked to anchor projections 66 on the receptacle by the pair of spring straps El carried on pins 68.

The. plug includes a molded insert 1| in which a multiplicity of metal contacts are carried. Each of these contacts includes an offset portion T3 fixed in the insert, and a terminal i2 towhich individual conductors of the cable may be soldered. Each contact also includes a contasting face T4, against which the upper portion 42 of the corresponding receptacle contacts may bear. The entire group of contacts is enclosed by a top cover 15 secured to the shell 5i and tothe insert 1I by a plurality of upwardly extending machine screws, T6 (Figure l). AV resilient gasket 'l'l is provided between the shell 6I and the top cover 15 to seal the joint against moisture. The cover 'l5 is provided with a neck portion 73 and a coupling nut 19 to provide clamping means for a cable consistingof the individual conductors extending from the terminals 12.

The connector illustrated in Figure 5 is of the same general type as the one heretofore described, and the corresponding parts thereof. are accordingly identied by similar reference numerals. This connector diiers from the disclosure of Figures l and 2 primarily in that it is arranged to utilize a hermetic seal rather than a pressure seal, and to this end the flange ld of the cup iii is soldered or brazed directly to the partition I0 without the use of any through bolts such as the machine. screws l5 of the previously described unit'- The disclosure. of Figure 5 also diiers` from the foregoing disclosure in that the glass bead seals are not, fused. directly into the wall of the member iii', but are fused into small cylindrical cups or bushings 45a (Figure 6) which have flanges: 451i which may be. soldered to the metal of the cup i8 asv at. 415e. This figure alsoy illustrates the structure of the terminal' pins 44, which, according to. the. present teaching, have a novel feature which perm-its:satisractory bonding between the. metal and the glass seal, yet at the.I saine time provides. a low resistance connece tion through 'the hermetically sealed wall. In the known prior art, it has been regarded as inevitable that a terminal conductor extending. through and bonded to a fused glass. insulator must necessarily be of rather high resistancev metal. This is because only certain alloys having low coefcients. of thermal expansion can besuccessiully bonded toy the. glass. These alloys, are. all high. resistance metals; 'v

The present. teaching provides, however, a seal 75 61 which is of low resistance, yet at, the; same timey aords a, satisfactory bond between the metal and glass surfaces. To accomplish this the terminal pins 44 are made with a central rod or pi-n 44a of copper, silver or similar low resista-nce metal surrounded. by an external sleeve 44h of an alloy having the requisite characteristicsfor bonding to the glass bead. Kovar is a suitable metal for this purpose. The rod andsleeve are fused together adjacent their lower ends and are both ilattened so that the terminal ringy 45. includes a thin central layer 46a of the highly conductive metal. Thus, when external wiring is soldered tothe terminal ring, the connection extends directly from the external wire through the portions4 46a and 44a of the rod to the. upper end 44o of the rod, which extends beyond the end 4gb of the tube and directly engages the surfaces 43h and 43e of the couplingv connector 43. With this arrangement, the hermetic seal is perfectly maintained by the bond between the glass and alloy surfaces, yet a low resistance electrical path is established through the seal.

From the foregoing specification, it will be apparent that the teachings of this invention provide for a novel and highly enicient connector wherein a multitudeof individual conductors may be carried through a hermetically sealed wall in an area occupying a minimum of space, but havlated, but is of low loss design, well suited to use with high frequency electronic apparatus. The coupling by which electrical union is established with these parts is so designed as to be of a single integral piece, but yet to permit considerable l movement in any direction Without imposing undue strains on the seal.

By this expedient, the heretofore conflicting considerations of electrical eiiiciency and mechanical strength in a connector of this type are reconciled, and a more eicient, more compact and yet more rugged connector is provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimv as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A sealed connector compri-:ir

in combination, a relatively rigid metallic shell haring marginal mounting flange extending ther:- arcnnd, a connector socket open on one side oi the flange, and opposed walls forming inner nnd of said shell on the other sid-e of the iiange; i metallic sealing cap iixedly mounted with re 'peet to the shell andI includingv a bottom partiacross olosin the inner end 1 shell.A witl'i side walls on said cap in telescoping relation with the walls oi the inner end or" the shell whereby the sealing cap and the shell om thereoi with a single metallic terminal pin extending through each of said apertures; the terminal pins. having straight inner end, portions standing in parallel relationship. to each athen with. the.. pins; supported in said aper-l ures by glassbeadsy fused to. the pins and iixedly mounted within said apertures; a dielectric insert extending between the opposed walls of said metallic shell, with a multiplicity of separate contact members comprising narrow fiat metallic strips carried by and extending through said insert; each of said contact members comprising a laterally yieldable outer portion housed within the socket portion of the shell, an intermediate portion within the dielectric member and fixedly held therein, and a yieldable coupler portion disposed between the dielectric member and the sealing cap, said coupler portion of each of said contacts including a free standing spring leg extending from the dielectric member to the pin, with a reverse bend at the extreme end of said leg and an oversize aperture in the reverse bend loosely encircling the terminal pin, and with a pair of oppositely disposed convex contact surfaces parallel with each other and extending laterally across the leg in a direction perpendicular to the terminal pin and engaging the terminal pin on opposite sides thereof.

2. A sealed connector comprising, in combination, a relatively rigid metallic shell having a marginal mounting flange extending therearound, with a connector socket open on one side of the flange, and opposed walls forming an inner end of said shell on the other side of the flange; a metallic sealing cap fixedly mounted with respect to the shell and including a bottom partition extending across and closing the inner end of said shell, with side walls on said cap in telescoping relation with the walls of the inner end of the shell whereby the sealing cap and the shell are held together' and with an outwardly extending marginal soldering flange thereon; said metallic sealing cap having a multiplicity of apertures in the bottom thereof with a single metallic terminal pin extending through each of said apertures; the terminal pins having straight inner end portions standing in parallel relationship to each other, with the pins supported in said apertures by glass beads fused to the pins and xedly mounted within said apertures; a

dielectric insert extending between the opposed walls of said metallic shell, with a multiplicity of separate contact members comprising narrow flat metallic strips carried by and extending through said insert; each of said contact members comprising a laterally yieldable outer portion housed within the socket portion of the shell, an intermediate portion within the dielectric member and xedly held therein, and a yieldable coupler portion disposed between the dielectric member and the sealing cap, said coupler portion of each of said contacts including a free standing spring leg extending from the dielectric member diagonally to the pin, with a contact surface extending laterally across the leg adjacent the end thereof and engaging the terminal pin.

3. A sealed connector comprising, in combination, a relatively rigid metallic shell having a connector socket open on one side and opposed walls forming an inner end of said shell; a metallic sealing cap xedly mounted with respect to the shell and including a bottom partition extending across and closing the inner end of said shell, with a marginal soldering surface thereon; said metallic sealing cap having a multiplicity of apertures in the bottom thereof with a single metallic terminal pin extending through each of said apertures; the terminal pins having straight inner end portions standing in parallel relationship to each other, with the pins supported in said apertures by glass beads fused'to the' pins and xedly mounted within said apertures; a dielectric insert extending between the opposed walls of said metallic shell, with a multiplicity of separate Contact members carried by and extending through said insert; each of said contact members comprising an outer portion housed within the socket portion of the shell, an intermediate portion within the dielectric member and xedly held therein, and a yieldable coupler portion comprising a narrow iiat metallic strip disposed between the dielectric member and the sealing cap, said coupler portion of each of said contacts including a free standing spring leg extending from the dielectric member to the pin, with a reverse bend adjacent the end of said leg and with a pair of parallel oppositely disposed contact surfaces extending laterally across the ieg in a direction perpendicular to the terminal pin and engaging the terminal pin on opposite sides thereof.

4. A sealed connector comprising, in combination, a relatively rigid metallic shell having a connector socket open on one side and opposed walls forming an inner end of said shell; a metallic sealing cap iixedly mounted with respect to the shell and including a bottom partition extending across and closing the inner end of said sheil, with a marginal soldering surface thereon; said metallic sealing cap having a multiplicity of apertures in the bottom thereof with a single metallic terminal pin extending through each of said apertures; the terminal pins having straight inner end portions standing in parallel relationship to each other, with the pins supported in said apertures by glass beads fused to the pins and fixedly mounted within said apertures; a dielectric insert extending between the opposed walls of said metallic shell, with a multiplicity of separate contact members carried by and extending though said insert; each of said contact members comprising an outer portion housed within the socket portion of the shell, an intermediate portion within the dielectric member and fixedly held therein, and a yieldable coupler portion comprising a narrow flat metallic strip disposed between the dielectric member and the sealing cap, said coupler portion of each of said contacts including a free standing spring leg extending from the dielectric member to the pin, with a reverse bend at the extreme end of said leg and an oversize aperture in the reverse bend loosely encircling the terminal pin, and with a pair of oppositely disposed convex contact surfaces parallel 'with each other and extending laterally across the leg in a direction perpendicuiar to the terminal Vpin and engaging the terminal pin on opposite sides thereof.

5. A sealed connector comprising, in combination, a relatively rigid metallic shell having a connector socket open on one side and opposed walls forming an inner end of said shell; a metallic sealing cap xedly mounted with respect to the shell and including a bottom partition extending across and closing the inner end of said shell, with a marginal soldering surface thereon; said metallic sealing cap having a multiplicity of apertures in the bottom thereof with a single metallic terminal pin extending through each of said apertures; the terminal pins having straight inner end portions standing in parallel relationship to each other, with the pins supported in said apertures by glass beads fused to the pins and fixedly mounted within saidV apertures; a dielectric insert extending between 9 the opposed walls of said metallic shell, with a multiplicity of separate contact members carried by and extending through said insert; each of said Contact members comprising an outer portion housed Within the socket portion of the shell, an intermediate portion within the dielectric member and xedly held therein, and a yieldable coupler portion comprising a narrow at metallic strip disposed between the dielectric member and the sealing cap, said coupler portion of each of said contacts including a free standing spring leg extending from the dielectric member diagonally to the pin, with a contact surface extending,r laterally across the leg adjal0 cent the end thereof and engaging the terminal pin.

CURT W. KLOSTERMANN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,635,256 Carter July 12, 1927 2,106,394 Mitchell Jan. 25, 1938 2,265,341 Borchert Dec. 9, 1941 2,390,308 Keller Dec. 4, 1945 2,451,800 Buchanan et al. Oct. 19, 1948 2,496,208 Hasselbaum Jan. 31, 1950 

